Benefit from the sharpest minds from across the sector at our Impact and Influence: Stats and Stories conference. See some of our incredible workshops available to delegates below.
With lingering consequences of Covid-19, an ongoing cost of living crisis and rising food insecurity, youth workers continue to play a fundamental role in securing positive outcomes for Scotland’s young people.
In an increasingly challenging funding landscape, however, key decisions by funders and policymakers are increasingly based around one thing: the ability to demonstrate impact.
Our workshops feature some of the most inspiring examples of collecting stories, data and lived experience and turning them into hard evidence about the value of youth work.
With an exciting range of development opportunities available throughout the day, you’re sure to find a workshop that takes your youth work to the next level.
Would you credit it? Looking at the value and impact of youth awards in community-based youth work and education settings
Discover ways that educational reviews have unlocked exciting new opportunities to integrate, promote and celebrate the achievements of young people. Explore the potential impact of involving youth awards and the youth work approach in the wider education of young people in Scotland.
Counselling in Schools – A Youth Information Approach
Come along and learn how Youth Work is delivering the Scottish Governments commitment to counselling in schools using a youth work approach working in partnership with the Educational Psychology Service. Gain an understanding of the impact and receive a copy of the research carried out by Youth Link Scotland, Northern Star and the University of St Andrews.
Understanding the Impact of Digital Youth Work
Explore the evaluation methods being used to gather insightful data from participants and volunteers in digital youth work at the Heart of Midlothian Innovation Centre. Consider effective methods for data collection and analysis in your own setting, including the National Youth Work Outcomes and Skills framework.
Supporting Youth Employability Taking a Youth Work Approach
The team from Elgin Youth Development Group will share their experience of what can be achieved when you bring a youth work approach to employability. And how the impact is greater when you work in partnership with those with a shared desire to see young people succeed. Sign up and join the conversation.
And a big sigh of relief…removing the stress of transition for ASN students through youth work!
Transition is a hugely important yet often difficult life event for young people. This presentation will highlight how youth work is a crucial tool to support this process. Using personal experiences, we will host a fun and fully interactive session exploring creative ways to make transition easier.
Imagine a Man – building positive masculinity with young people
The Imagine a Man workshop is for anyone wishing to explore and build ‘positive masculinity’ with young people. Positive masculinity benefits everyone, not just boys and young men. The resource is the result of 2 years of research and consultation with boys and young men about what is important to them.
Data Driven Practice to Evidence Specialist Youth Work
All youth work services need to be able to evidence our impact: we need to know that what we’re doing works, and we need to be able to evidence this to funders, trustees and other stakeholders. It’s not always easy! In this workshop, LGBT Youth Scotland will showcase the impact framework that they developed using the National Youth Work outcomes, and how they used data to identify the best outcomes and indicators. You will have space to reflect on how you can integrate that learning in your own projects to create your own plan to measure the impact of the amazing work you do.
Youth-Led Research – supporting young people to take the lead
Developed and facilitated by members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs), this session will introduce you to youth-led research. During the workshop, we will explore:
Detached Streetwork: Making a Real Difference
This workshop will highlight the impact that detached work can have on some of the most vulnerable and marginalised young people in our communities. Highlighting the research journey and outcomes from our Scottish Borders Alcohol and Drug Partnership research which gathered strong data around substance use, behaviours and attitudes. The development of this research project into action and the importance of early intervention with those who are especially impacted by trauma and multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences will be explored and how important it is for detached streetwork to have clear roles, boundaries and responsibilities working with those young people on the street.
Thrive Youth Employability Programme – A youth work approach to achieving positive destinations
This workshop will provide an overview of the ‘Thrive’ programme – Thrive aims to engage and overcome barriers, through one-to-one community engagement and groupwork. The workshop will highlight our approach to partnership working with the Third sector for volunteering and our ‘No-one left behind’ partnership with Skills Development Scotland. We will demonstrate the Employability Shared Measurement framework and how it contributes to continuous improvement.
Community-based Youth Work: Spotlighting the role of youth work in fostering strong communities and promoting social cohesion
Showcasing good practice examples of how community-based youth work uses a grow your own model to build the skills of local people as youth workers and volunteers, develops young people as leaders and active citizens and provides safe spaces within communities which are tailored to meet young people’s needs. This workshop will demonstrate how community-based youth work contributes to community wealth building and community empowerment.
Strengthening our Stats and Stories to Influence Education Reform
To play our part to the fullest in delivering Scotland’s vision for education reform, the youth work sector must feel confident to evidence the impact of our work on educational outcomes for young people. In this session we’ll explore how practitioners are developing their evaluation practice and discuss the benefits and challenges of doing this effectively at this critical time in Scottish Education.
The impact of community-based universal youth work research
At this interactive workshop, you will hear about how an innovative and participatory research methodology Transformative Evaluation was used to examine the impact of community-based youth work. Key findings from powerful stories will be shared and you will have a chance to analyse some of the stories yourself.
Mental and Physical Wellbeing: Sharing success stories, evaluation and statistics on how youth work contributes to the overall wellbeing of young people
Come and explore how story telling was used to support young people from multi- ethnic backgrounds to learn about mental health (originally a taboo topic) and evaluate how youth work contributed positively to the overall well-being of young people
#ItsNotAboutTheCanoes – Feeling uncomfortable in the outdoors
Have you been sitting still in the conference all day? Need to feel refreshed? Join the Venture Scotland team for our classic team building game. A little (we promise) physical exercise to get your body moving, a little mental exercise to get your brain working and a little emotional processing to make you feel good.
Rethinking Employability
Rethinking Employability will explore some challenging questions about the current employability statistics, priorities, approaches and outcomes for Scotland – and will highlight and celebrate some impactful real-life examples of how youth work makes a tangible difference to young people as they prepare for and transition into employment.
Championing the voices of girls and young women through Girlguiding Scotland’s Speak Out Forum
Drawing inspiration from our youth panel of advocates, the Speak Out Champions, Girlguiding Scotland will explore the importance of being youth-led when empowering young people to be change makers in their local communities. We will look at both the successes and obstacles when creating tangible change in the real lives of girls and young women across Scotland.